OBJECTIVETo observe the pathological changes in rabbits with spinal cord injury induced by decompression sickness (DCS), and to investigate the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in spinal cord injury induced by DCS.

METHODSRabbits were randomly divided into normal control group, DCS group, and safe decompression group. The rabbit model of DCS was established. Light microscopy, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemical method were used to observe the pathomorphological changes in the thoracolumbar spinal cord and the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α, respectively. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to observe the apoptosis in the spinal cord.

RESULTSIn the DCS group, cavities formed in the white matter of spinal cord and gliosis occurred around necrotic areas. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α was significantly higher in the DCS group than in the normal control group and the safe decompression group (P<0.01). The results of TUNEL showed that the number of positive apoptotic cells was significantly larger in the DCS group than in the normal control group and the safe decompression group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONApoptosis plays an important role in spinal cord injury induced by DCS. In the early stage of DCS, the massive release of TNF-α initiates apoptosis and contributes to the pathological changes in spinal cord injury induced by DCS.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Decompression Sickness ; metabolism ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; RNA, Messenger ; Rabbits ; Spinal Cord ; pathology ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features and molecular characteristics of β-catenin-deficient colorectal cancer.Methods:The clinical, pathological and molecular features of 11 colorectal cancers with β-catenin protein loss diagnosed at the 960th Hospital of People′s Liberation Army of China, from January 2012 to November 2022 were analyzed.Results:Among the 11 patients, 3 were males and 8 were females. Their age ranged from 43 to 74 years, with the median age of 59 years. Six were in the left colon and 5 were in the right colon. One of the 11 cases had lymph node metastasis, 10 cases were well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, and 1 was mucinous adenocarcinoma. Eight cases were of TNM stage T4, 2 of T1 stage and 1 of Tis stage. β-catenin protein was not detected using immunohistochemistry. Sanger sequencing revealed the presence of fragment-deletion mutation in exon 3 of CTNNB1 gene, resulting in loss of β-catenin protein expression.Conclusion:β-catenin deficiency is present in a small number of colorectal cancers and may be associated with exon 3 mutations of CTNNB1 gene.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in rabbits with decompression disease (DCS), and to investigate the functioning mechanism.

METHODSA total of 21 healthy adult rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, DCS group, and safe relief group, with 7 rabbits in each group. A rabbit DCS model was established by quick decompression. The changes in pathological morphology and mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α and GFAP in the brain and spinal cord of rabbits with DCS were determined by light microscopy, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTSCavity formation was observed in the white matter of spinal cord in DCS group. The mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α and GFAP was significantly higher in the DCS group than in the normal control group and safe relief group (P < 0.01), while no significant differences were observed in the brain (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSpinal cord is the main part of central nervous system injury in DCS. Activation of TNF-α and GFAP genes accompanied by increase in their protein expression can be observed at the early stage of DCS. The astrocytes and TNF-α play important roles in the process of spinal cord injury in DCS.

Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Decompression Sickness ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Male ; Rabbits ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism